‘Village flood prevention work deserve cash more than extra Clitheroe park fencing’

Funding for measures to tackle flooding in a Ribble Valley village needs to be added to a list of community projects earmarked for cash and should be a higher priority than extra park fencing in Clitheroe, a councillor believes.

Work trying to find solutions to flooding in Ribchester has been under-way for years and could include natural flood-prevention elements upstream of the village, Labour Coun Karl Barnsley has told Ribble Valley Council.

But he said an expression of interest from local groups associated with a flood prevention scheme has not been included, so far, in a list of community projects earmarked for potential cash from Ribble Valley Council. And he  queried one recommendation to consider allocating £12,500 for further fencing at Brungerley Park, Clitheroe. But final decisions are yet to be taken.

Ribble Valley Council has invited community groups to send expressions of interest for cash grants. The borough has its own £1.6million Ribble Valley Shared Prosperity Fund plus government cash from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund. But there are deadlines next spring and some funds currently remain unallocated, councillors have been told.

At Ribchester,  streams called Boyce’s Brook and Duddel Brook flow into the Ribble. Flooding on occasions has impacted some homes and roads, including a junction with the A59, according to reports in recent years.

Coun Barnsley highlighted Ribchester flooding at the borough’s Policy & Finance Committee. He is not on the committee. It came during discussions on community projects currently seen as suitable for grants including for Brungerley Park fencing.

Coun Barnsley mentioned community groups in Ribchester and Longridge, including Longridge Environment Group. He said: “There was flooding in Ribchester around New Year’s Day. People were cleaning-up the roads and working with sandbags. Some people wrote to me, saying they were going to put their houses up for sale because they couldn’t put-up with floods any longer.”

He said work on drains, upstream natural flood management measures and other ideas have been suggested to tackle the Ribchester problems.

The Environment Agency was among those who had mentioned natural flood-prevention elements.

He added: “This type of flood-prevention work would meet the criteria for funding, regarding improving community safety and the health of residents.

In a previous council report, there was a recommendation to invite a full application for this idea. But now, the working group looking at grant ideas seems to have declined extending an invitation? I don’t see how this council can put fencing above flooding?

“We’ve been working for years to find solutions to stop flooding in Ribchester. I humbly ask this committee to extend an invitation to Longridge Environment Group to put forward more details.”

Ribble Valley council officer Nicola Hopkins explained how a smaller working group of councillors had made their recommendations so far.  Community groups were  invited to send initial expressions of interest in grants. Councillors looked at the ideas, criteria and thought about the types of schemes envisaged for grant support. They then recommended that some community groups behind the ideas be asked to send detailed submissions. But final decisions on grants have not yet been taken,

The Policy & Finance Committee agreed the working group recommendations so far,  now inviting detailed ideas from the community groups currently selected. The recommendations include a potential £100,000 for Ribchester Playing Field Trust for new play equipment and safety matting at the village’s recreation ground.